Supporting foot means for a separately coupled centrifugal pump

ABSTRACT

A Supporting Foot for a separately coupled centrifugal pump means to provide a rigid support and maintain shaft alignment under forces and moments from external causes. The supporting foot is attached by any suitable means to the back end of the adaptor between the pump casing and the bearing frame, and has a curved flange member snugly engaging the outer curved surface of the adaptor. In assembled position it is disposed at an angle to the longitudinal line of the centrifugal pump means.

United States Patent 1 1 1 3,891,345

Doolin June 24, 1975 [54] SUPPORTING FOOT MEANS FOR A 3,378,193 4/1968 Harris 415/12] R N I 3,754,843 8/1973 Dcrneddc 417/363 EEK QF COUPLED CE TRHFUFAL 3,791,760 2/1974 Lipe 415/121 R [75] Inventor: John H. Doolin, New Providence,

NJ. Primary ExaminerHenry F. Raduazo [73] Assignee: Worthington Pump international, Attorney Agent or Flrm Damel Bobls Inc, Mountainside, NJ.

[22] Filed: Mar. 8, 1974 57 ABSTRACT 21 Appl. No.: 449,366 1 Related U.S. Applicatimn ata A Supporting Foot for a separately coupled centrifu- [60] Continuation-impart of Scrv No. 418,431, Nov. 23, gal pump means to provide a rigid support and main- 1973, abandoned, which is a division of Ser. No. tain shaft alignment under forces and moments from 257,583, May 30, 1972, Pat. No. 3,8 external causes. The supporting foot is attached by any suitable means to the back end of the adaptor bel 415/121 415/219 tween the pump casing and the bearing frame, and has 417/423 R a curved flange member snugly engaging the outer [51] Int. Cl. F04b 35/04 urved surface of the adaptor. 1n assembled position it Field of Search 1 13, 14, is disposed at an angle to the longitudinal line of the 415/12] R, 219 C; 4l7/423 R, 360, 353, 363 centrifugal pump means References Cited 3 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,414,900 5/1922 Sammarone 248/19 J l0 18 2o 3 12 E2: e 22 W e Z8 l4- 26 R s SUPPORTING FOOT MEANS FOR A SEPARATELY COUPLED CENTRIFUGAI, PUMP BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This application is a Continuation-in-Part of copending application Ser. No. 418,431 filed Nov. 23. 1973, now abandoned, which is a division of copending application Ser. No. 257,583, filed May 30. 1972 for Centrifugal Pump Means from Interchangeable Modular Components now US. Pat. No. 3,841,791.

Application Ser. No. 257,583 disclosed Centrifugal Pump Means to provide selectively close coupled centrifugal pump means and separately coupled centrifugal pump means from a wide variety of interchangeable modular components.

For a separately coupled centrifugal pump means of the type described, the requisite support of the bearing end of the pump in the prior art has generally been operatively connected to the bearing cartridge at a point as close to the coupling end as possible, which avoided or greatly reduced the overhung weight and the corresponding load on the connecting flanges of the bearing cartridge and the adapter between the bearing cartridge and the pump casing.

Experience with such separately coupled centrifugal pumps constructed in accordance with the prior art indicated that large occasional forces and moments occur, e.g.. from hydraulic loads, thermal expansion and piping forces, which caused distortion of the bearing cartridge and misalignment of the driving and driven shafts at the coupling. Durability and operation were impaired when the medial support or foot could not maintain the shaft alignment within limits to which the pump was designed to operate. Further, the support attached to the bearing cartridge prevented incorporation of a cooling jacket around the bearing cartridge when hot liquids were to be pumped.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved supporting foot for a separately coupled centrifugal pump means.

A further object of the invention is a medial support for a separately coupled centrifugal pump means to transmit external forces and moments with minimum distortion of critical structural members of the pump.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a readily removable medial supporting foot with rigid connections to the pump structure and the base, substantially free from dependance upon friction of attaching surfaces and resistance to bending.

Another object of the invention is to allow room for a cooling jacket around the bearing cartridge to maintain desired bearing temperatures when hot liquids are being pumped.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention covers a supporting foot means for a separately coupled centrifugal pump means having, a main body portion, leg means at one end of the main body portion with means for connecting the main body portion to a base,'a flanged portion at the end ofthe main body portion remote from the leg means contoured to fit' the bottom of the centrifugal pump means and means for connecting the flanged portion medially of the centrifugal pump means, the main body portion disposed relative to the centrifugal pump means in assembled position at an angle to the longitudinal line thereof to provide rigidity of support and to overcome the bending forces of external loads exerted on the separately coupled centrifugal pump means.

Additionally, the present invention covers the combination of a separately coupled centrifugal pump means having a bearing cartridge for a driven pump shaft. a pump casing with an impeller therein connected to and rotatable with the driven pump shaft, an adaptor surrounding the driven pump shaft and spaced therefrom and operatively disposed to connect the bearing cartridge to the pump casing, and a supporting foot means disposed medially thereof in engagement with the back end of the adaptor means at the point thereof adjacent the bearing cartridge.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a separately coupled motor driven centrifugal pump incorporating a supporting foot constructed and operative according to the teaching of the invention.

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the centrifugal pump of FIG. I, viewed from the motor end with the motor and coupling removed.

FIG. 3 is a vertical section taken at line 3-3 of FIG. 1 to show the supporting foot of the present invention operatively associated with the pump.

FIG. 4 is a vertical section taken at line 4-4 of FIG. 3 to show the supporting foot in its operative relationship to the pump and thev base or foundation on which the pump and its driver are installed.

FIG. 5 is an end elevational view of the supporting foot.

FIG. 6 is a top view of the supporting foot.

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of the supporting foot.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the supporting foot.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a separately coupled centrifugal pump means generally designated 10 with a supporting foot in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. The pump comprises a pump casing 12, an adaptor 14, a bearing frame or cartridge 16 and an electric drive motor 18 all mounted on a foundation base or bedplate 19. The motor includes a shaft 20 coupled by a detachable coupling 22 to the pump shaft 24, which is rotatably supported in bearings, not shown, in the bearing frame 16. The pump shaft 24 extends through the adaptor 14 into the pump casing 12 within which an impeller, not shown, is fixed to the end of the pump shaft 24 and rotates therewith. The separately coupled centrifugal pump means shown is fully described in pending application Ser. No. 257,583 and accordingly will not be further described herein.

The separately coupled centrifugal pump means 10 is supported on the base 19 and held in alignment by support means 26, 28 and 30 operatively connected respectively to the pump casing 12, the adaptor l4 and the motor 18.

The medial support means or supporting foot 28 operatively connected to the adaptor-l4 and now to be described differs from the conventional prior art practice which placed the medially disposed support under the bearing cartridge of the separately coupled pumping arrangements.

SUPPORTING FOOT Referring to FIGS. 3 to 7 of the drawings. the medially disposed support means or supporting foot 28 is shown as a primary solid flat body member generally designated 32 which in assembled position is slanted at an angle to the longitudinal line of the pump 10. At one end an arcuate curved flanged member 34 is formed which is shaped to snugly engage and fit the curved outer surface of any associated adaptor means to which it is connected by at least one suitable bolt member 36 which extends through the flanged member 34 into a threaded bore as at 38. At the end remote from the flanged member 34 a pair of spaced legs as at 40 and 42 are respectively provided with support pads as at 44 and 46. Along the side edges of the flat body member 32, stiffening flanges 48 and 50 provide more rigidity and better distortion free transfer of loads from the pump to the main body portion 32 of the supporting foot 28 and to the base 19.

Provision is made in the support pads 44 and 46 for rigidly connecting the supporting foot 28 to the base 19 by any suitable means, such as bolts 52 extending through slots 54 in the support pads 44 and 46 into threaded bores 56 in the base 19.

The angle between the main body portion 32 of the supporting foot 28 and the longitudinal line of the separately coupled centrifugal pump means is shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 as approximately 45 to resist deflecting forces and moments primarily by compression along the axis of the supporting foot 28 rather than by bending deflections where the supporting foot 28 is connected to the base 19 and the adaptor 14.

The overall effect of bringing in the medial support means or supporting foot 28 as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings is to eliminate external piping and other support forces from acting on the bearing cartridge 16. The effect of such change will be to eliminate the support load on the bolts connecting the bearing cartridge 16 to the adaptor l4.

A further effect of this change in the support is to eliminate or insure against possible internal distortion in the bearing cartridge 16 by extending the cartridge from the structure through which imposed forces and moments are transmitted from the pump casing 12 to the base 19.

Additionally, the medially disposed support means or supporting foot 28 connected to the adaptor 14 in accordance with the present invention allows room about the bearing cartridge 16 for a cooling jacket, which may be required to maintain satisfactory bearing temperatures when hot liquids are being pumped.

Thus, it has been shown that the supporting foot is disposed in operative engagement with the adaptor at a location which clears the bearing cartridge. Since the adaptor is preferably cast or forged, it is a rugged and strong member and therefore can provide the advantageous results of the present invention.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that certain changes may be made in the form and arrangement of the invention without departing from the scope and spirit thereof, which is defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A support means in combination with a separately LII coupled centrifugal pump means including a bearing cartridge for a driven pump shaft. a pump casing with an impeller therein connected to and rotatable with the driven pump shaft, and an adaptor surrounding the driven pump shaft and spaced therefrom and operatively disposed to connect the bearing cartridge to the pump casing, said support means comprising:

a. a body member having means for connecting the body member to said separately coupled centrifugal pump medially therealong,

b. said body member including, a flat section forming leg means at the lower end,

c. flange means at the upper end contoured to snugly engage the outer surface of the centrifugal pump in assembled position.

(1. and said flange means disposed at an angle to the body member and the connecting means operatively associated with the flange means whereby the support means will be disposed at an angle to the longitudinal line of the centrifugal pump in assembled position.

2. The combination claimed in claim 1 wherein, the support means is connected to said centrifugal pump means substantially at the end of the adaptor nearest the bearing cartridge.

3. A supporting foot means for a separately coupled centrifugal pump comprising,

a. a rigid support member disposed at an angle of approximately 45 to the horizontal line of the supporting foot means in assembled position on a centrifugal pump.

b. said support member having an upper end, a lower end and having a right side edge and a left side edge,

0. spaced pad means fixedly connected to the lower end of said angled support member having a lower face parallel to the said horizontal line of the supporting foot means when assembled, and means for connecting said pad means to a support point,

d. a flanged arcuate contoured member fixedly connected to the upper end of said angled support member and having an upper surface parallel to the lower face of said pad means,

e. said flanged arcuate contoured member offset from the upper end of said angled support member in a direction opposite from that of said spaced pad means and spaced from the vertical axis of the supporting foot means in assembled position a distance approximately equal to the distance said pad means is spaced from the said vertical axis of the supporting foot means,

f. means adapted to connect said flanged arcuate contoured member to a non-critical point of attachment on the centrifugal pump, and

g. spaced side flanges connected respectively to the right side edge and the left side edge of said support member and each of said side flanges fixedly c0nnected to and from both the adjacent side of the flanged arcuate contoured member to the adjacent pad means on the side edge to which the respective side flanges are connected whereby a relatively rigid supporting foot means is provided subject to minimum bending forces and distortion due to external force and movements in assembled position. 

1. A support means in combination with a separately coupled centrifugal pump means including a bearing cartridge for a driven pump shaft, a pump casing with an impeller therein connected to and rotatable with the driven pump shaft, and an adaptor surrounding the driven pump shaft and spaced therefrom and operatively disposed to connect the bearing cartridge to the pump casing, said support means comprising: a. a body member having means for connecting the body member to said separately coupled centrifugal pump medially therealong, b. said body member including, a flat section forming leg means at the lower end, c. flange means at the upper end contoured to snugly engage the outer surface of the centrifugal pump in assembled position, d. and said flange means disposed at an angle to the body member and the connecting means operatively associated with the flange means whereby the support means will be disposed at an angle to the longitudinal line of the centrifugal pump in assembled position.
 2. The combination claimed in claim 1 wherein, the support means is connected to said centrifugal pump means substantially at the end of the adaptor nearest the bearing cartridge.
 3. A supporting foot means for a separately coupled centrifugal pump comprising, a. a rigid support member disposed aT an angle of approximately 45* to the horizontal line of the supporting foot means in assembled position on a centrifugal pump, b. said support member having an upper end, a lower end and having a right side edge and a left side edge, c. spaced pad means fixedly connected to the lower end of said angled support member having a lower face parallel to the said horizontal line of the supporting foot means when assembled, and means for connecting said pad means to a support point, d. a flanged arcuate contoured member fixedly connected to the upper end of said angled support member and having an upper surface parallel to the lower face of said pad means, e. said flanged arcuate contoured member offset from the upper end of said angled support member in a direction opposite from that of said spaced pad means and spaced from the vertical axis of the supporting foot means in assembled position a distance approximately equal to the distance said pad means is spaced from the said vertical axis of the supporting foot means, f. means adapted to connect said flanged arcuate contoured member to a non-critical point of attachment on the centrifugal pump, and g. spaced side flanges connected respectively to the right side edge and the left side edge of said support member and each of said side flanges fixedly connected to and from both the adjacent side of the flanged arcuate contoured member to the adjacent pad means on the side edge to which the respective side flanges are connected whereby a relatively rigid supporting foot means is provided subject to minimum bending forces and distortion due to external force and movements in assembled position. 